The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-01
VISIT TO new ORLEANS
BY A PALATIAL MISSISSIPPI
STEAMBOAT IN 1889.
The Pictures OF De Guerre, Who
Was the First to Make the Sun
Mans Aid In Art.
For the Appeal:

Was 1t in 1889? Yes, 1t must have
been, though tuat is nearly fifty years
ago. And it was my first visit 10 New
Or cans. Thea no one ia this valley
visited that great cotton mart of the
world except on Mississippi steamer
end It that time no other river in the
Union fl dated such superb and sump-
tuous palace hotels as passed Memphis
every day mp and down our grand old
Father OF Waters. Louisville and St.
Louis were then but frontier towns
he termini Of RIVER CONNIE cs on the
Ohio and the Mississippi IL need not
10 said that / eRjoyed that trip very
much. 1t was glorious, jlyous, sun.
shloy, weeping, smiling April; tn luRh
as We Rlided down the broad, rueh ny
river everything souh of Nstchez
seemed 10 have bern luxuriating ia
balmy, wooipg May fora month. The
luxurious appointments Of the msg-
nifcent st. Charles Hotel did not les
sen the pleasure / felt. The second
day after resching the city started
out to visit some new styles Of pict-
ures which the papers we're discuss
ing lhO Eboh Nhcio iOuuu bIcul
was about 25x75 feet, a I'd at the far
end, OPP lite the entrance, was a
curtain of common sheeting hurg
from the ceiling to the fojr aud
extending from one side If the
room to the other. On reaching the
building l found over the door a piece
OF tin which told me that the paint
iugs or pictures in the room were by
the celebrated French artist, De Guerre,
who was the first genus to make the
sun give bin a Likeness of any hing
hs fame cd. 1t was discove y which
immortalized the artist; and his pict.
uIes always attracted crowds Behind
the curtain aud between it aud the
wall was q space about six or eight
Ieet wide in which De GusTre moved
about while shifting his pictures
The room was lighted up with gas,
which was raised or lowered as the
operator wished, though it generally
seemed as il it we're twilight or gray
dawn. Stats were conveniently ar
ranged, and the room was pretty foil.
The first view which met the eye was
that Of large city, one Of whose long,
parrow streets was isnked by houses,
stores, residences, offices OF all kinds ;
all fiat rooted, and none more than
two stories high. 1t seemed Just about
daylight, and the streets were all
crowded with people and animals
n owing in one directions while tt
house tops, cornices, balconies, etc +,
were literally covered with people.
They were all looking down upon the
moving panorama below ttem-the
long street crowded with men,
women and children, camels,
goats, sheep, horsee, ssses, cattle,
swine, and all animals and furnilure
belonging to the usual household. The
day was the one inauRuratng the
DEPARTURE OF THE IsRAELITEs FROM
EGYPT,
and that canvas was a curiosity rep.
resenting all characters aud phases of
Egyptian life, from the elephant led
by his keeper to the patient camel
laden with household plumber, ele-
plants and Cames being literally
packed with the aged and infirm and
small children.
1t was grand lesson from history,
taken in by the eye in half an hour
instePd OF rom books in m 'nths.
The most important movement, in
fact the emigi alton of an entire nation,
or Of large pant of it, driven into
wilderness, from which in few years
was to grow power that became su-
preme over much of the favored
Mediterranean land. l could have
gszed on IL for many hours with I'M
speakable delight, as city, temples,
streets, hou e', people, animals seemed
gradually passing away.
Daguerre's pictures were all dis
play ed bshind various lights on the
the canvas which seemed fixtures in
the spots they Illuminated. Gas, oil,
different resinous and compounded
Ingredients produced sunlight, moon
lght, electric and other lights, all un.
er the instant creations and mauipu.
lations of the artist, and the delusion
was magical. Mount Etna and Mount
Vesuvius gave forth differently col
ored lights when belchiDg out white
ltaping flames, or red, angry, but de-
csyiDg fires, all in he very self same
spot on the canyass, not apparently
larger than a child's head. Presently
all that would fade away and some
thing equally attractive would appear,
not ten feet distant from the others
but as big ss city. Perhaps it was a
picture Of that horrible, terrible
dramatic
MASSACRE OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW,
and 1t was 30 realistic in all it's feat
ures as almosG to make ones hair
stand on end. Imagine the vista of a
long significantly built street in such
city ss Paris, with its million people
who are sufficiently divided in their
religious opinions as 10 have bee me
suspicious Of everything; the Catho-
lies greatly outnumbering the Protest
ants, and urged on to all desdly mis-
chief aud hatrsd under Gather ne
against anything like religious freed ON
1t was a hot summer night, and that,
with the devilish passions burning in
her heart, and the apprehension de-
pressing all, kept thousands anxiously
awake. The street lamps shone
dimly as their Pickering oil lights
were indistinctly traced up and down
that long avenue. CatheriI and or
ten year old boy, aiterward Charles
TX, stood in an open balcln as if ex-
pectantly awaiting some signal.
1t was given. The deep toned tocsin
of st. Bsrtholomew's bell, at the sooth-
ing hour OF midnight, opened the
bloody drama; and as thousands of
men, women and children rushed
from their residences to learn what
fate awaited the doomed city, the vim
dictive, cruel, merciless answer met
them at the mouths OF muskets
charged with hatred and death for all
who opposed the Pope OF Rome. As
far ss the eye could see the steps and
corridors and balconies of two dwell
ings, and the pavements OF
that street, were literally COW
cred with the dead bodies OF citizens
of all classes aud sgss; and this sacri.
fee to the imp acable hatred Rome
/ ED for all Protestsnts did not cease
So long as terror stricken 500 could
be seen by the bloodthirstY agents OF
RnmaIa HM0af Hnlv TDou;a;tio,, -